Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-12-08
.-...EFEEcIs OF ERiGhT.
a Mans Life Wrecked by an Encounte
With Rattlesnakes.

a mans Life Wrecked by an Encounter
With Rattlesnakes.
A tall, handsomely-dressed man, lean
ing on the arm of an attendant, was walk
ing up Madison avenue Sunday just as q
vast throng of church -goers were return
ing home, says the New York World
Suddenly he stopped, looked at his legs in
q frightened way, and fell to the ground
in fit. His body twisted and wjthed in
a way horrible to see, and he made a
strange noise which sounded like dozen
angry rattlesnakes. The gentleman's
attendant evidently knew just what to do.
He raised the sufferers head SO that he
could not injure it on the sidewalk, and
quickly loosened the fastenings of his
shirt. When the first violence of the fiji
had worn off the attendant called on q
bystander for help and removed the gen.
tleman to a drug store. During the fit the
gentleman's hat had rolled off, and also a
wig, leaving head exposed as smooth as
billiard ball. While waiting for a car
riage the attendant told a reporter a re-
markable story of how his master came to
be so terribly afflicted.
The gentleman is Mr.. Francklyn Brush.
Ten years ago Mr.. Brush came to America
from England to seek his fortune as a
civil engineer. He had letters of
introduction which secured him a
place on the International G. Great North
ern railroad in Texas, which was then be-
ing built. He joined Major Benham's
party as assistant engineer. One day in
October. 1877, Major Benham sent Mr..
Brush to obtain certain papers from Cap
tain Wardell. who was engineer in charge
of the next division. He started on his
twenty-mile ride in the morning and
reached his destination shortly before
noon. He refused an invitation to remain
in Captain WardelPs camp until the heat
of the day had passed and at once started
on his return journey. Half way between
the two camps Mr.. Brush became tired
and dismounted from his horse. He found
shady place on large rock overshad-
owed by trees and stretched himself out
to rest. s
He had been asleep some time when he
was awakened by strange sensation. 1t
seemed as though a heavy weight was at
tached to each leg. When he opened his
eyes an ominous rafting noise greeted his
ears. Two huge rattlesnakes had coiled
about each of mis- legs, and at the slightest
motion the animals raised their heads,
ready to strike. Afraid to move and
filed with indispensable terror, Mr..
Brush lay hour after hour with the
two big snakes coiled about him.
At last the sun began to set, and the
chill night air began to make the snakes
uncomfortable. Slowly they unwound
themselves from about Mr.. Brush, and
crawled into crevice in the rocks. Then
he mounted his horse and rode into camp.
When his horse halted in front of Major
Benham's tent, Mr.. Brush fell from it in a
fit. For three days he remained uncon-
scious, passing from one fit into another,
until his life was despaired Of At last he
ru1Ii sniff ont yv 10 hn 70 Co,
Antonio, where he remained in the hos
pital for six months. During his illness
every hair dropped from his head. AS
soon as practicable Mr.. Brush was taken
TO England, where he remained until a
year ago, when, through the death of a
relative, he came into handsome proper
ty. He has been travelling under the care
of a nurse since then, but he is constantly
subject to fits. 1t is the opinion of noted
surgeons who have failed to effect a cure
that Mr.. Brush will die during one of these
fits.